Oral treatment device



' W. W. BUHSE ORAL TREATMENT DEVICE March 28, 1939.

Filed July 2, 19 36 2 Sheets-Sheet l rs m 3mm muwo 2 km .E 5 MW March28, 1939.

w. w. BUHSE ORAL TREATMENT DEVICE Filed July 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2[MI/6722507? MAT/5e M4 til #65 F ATTOENEYS Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a device adapted for use in connection withtreatment of body tissues, and is particularly adapted for use inelectrolytic medication, in which therapeutic or antiseptic 5 substancesare carried into the tissues electrically. The device has found valuableapplication in the dental field for desensitizing or treating one ormore teeth; for post-operative alveolar treatment; for pyorrhea; forpreventing post-opera- 10 tive complications following removal ofinfected or impacted teeth; for trench mouth; and for generalprophylactic purposes.

An important object is to provide an insulated electrode which can beinserted in the mouth 15 and so placed as to facilitate electricaltransfer of medicament to the dental structures.

Features of the invention include: the provision of a device of theclass described having pledget-receiving means which can be held inoperative position by biting action; the use of a groove or depressionadapted to be gripped by the teeth; the use of a teeth-receivingdepression which corresponds in shape to the occlusal line of the teeth;the provision of a pledget-receiving means which has the form of asocket having an electrode with which the pledget can contact; theangular relation of the teeth-gripping portion and the pledget-receivingmeans whereby gripping action forcibly moves the pledgetreceiving meansand its contained pledget toward the surface or part to be treated;specifically all details of construction shown and described; and allbroader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description ofthe drawings forming a part of this application, andin said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of my inventionadapted for treatment of large areas of the labial and buccal surfacesof the teeth or gums;

Figure 2 is a sagittal section through the oral cavity showing thedevice of Figure 1, in treatment-applying position, said device being insection on a line which corresponds to line 2-2 of Figure Figure 3 is areverse plan view of the device of Figure Figure 4 is a side elevationof the device of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modification of my invention, which isreversible and is adapted for the treatment of the lingual gum portions55 of the human mouth;

Figure 6 is a sagittal section through the oral cavity showing thedevice of Figure 5 in use, the section of the device being taken on line66 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a plan view of another form of my invention, which isreversible, and is adapted for treating smaller areas of the tooth andgum surfaces;

Figure 8 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation showing the device appliedfor treating buccal o gum surfaces of the mandible;

Figure 9 is a frontal section through one side of the oral cavity, online 9-9 of Figure 8, further illustrating the use of the device ofFigure 8;

Figure 10 is a plan section of a reversible device similar to that ofFigure 8, it being noted that the devices of Figures 8 and 10 arerelated as rights and lefts;

Figure 11 is a View similar to Figure 8 showing another form of devicein use for treatment of 0 the buccal surfaces of the gums of themaxillary;

Figure 12 is a frontal section similar to Figure 9, on line l2l2 ofFigure 11; and

Figure 13 is a sagittal section of the mandible illustrating the use ofanother form of my invention, applied for treating a dry orpost-operative alveolus, the device being partly in longitudinalvertical section.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive: The form of my inventioncomprises a metallic core preferably formed of a thin sheet of copperbent to provide an upright portion- 2 and a horizontal teeth-gripportion 3 which forms with the portion 2 an inside angle A which ispreferabls slightly less than a right angle. The portions 2 and 3 areU-shaped in plan, as shown in Figure 1, to conform generally to theocclusal line of the teeth and to the labial and buccal gum surfaces.The device is reversible to fit either the maxillary or the mandibularportions of the oral cavity.

The horizontal portion 3 is provided in its under side with a groove orvalley 5 and on its inner side with a corresponding peak or projection6. This valley and peak are so related that biting on the element 3 willcause the pledget I2 .or electrode to be forced toward the surface to betreated, and this can be done by giving other contours to the plate orportion 3. The structure just described is adapted for engagement by theteeth substantially in the manner shown in Figure 2, although nolimitation is intended by making this statement.

My device, therefore, broadly provides means having a portion adapted tobe gripped by the teeth to hold the electrode in operative position,

and such gripping will tend to bring the device to and hold it inoperative positon, if desired, under pressure.

To the upright portion 2 is connected a hollow stem Ill also preferablyof copper (but it may be of any suitable electrical conducting material)and the upright element 2 is provided at its top with an inwardlyextending flange II which, with the portions 2 and 3, forms apledget-receiving means, of which part 2 is the electrode with which thepledget |2 (ordinarily saturated with a solution of sodium chloride) isin electrical contact.

The upright portion 2 is the only portion which is exposed, the othercopper parts being surrounded by suitable electrical insulating materialgenerally indicated at M. The tubular portion I6 is threaded as at |6 toreceive the corresponding threaded plug I! of a coupling devicegenerally indicated at IB, with which the conducting wire IQ of asuitable electrical circuit is connected. Another electrode Hill, ofsuitable character is applied to another part of the body of the patientto complete the circuit.

The insulation covering the tube It) forms a V handle designated 20 bywhich the device is thrust into the mouth. The terminals of the U, thatis the rear ends of the element 2, and the insulation covering them, isshaped as at 2|, to lessen the vertical height of the inwardmost partsof the implement. It is again noted that the pledget-receiving means andits pledget are held in treating relation with the gums or teeth bybiting action.

The structure of the reversible device shown in Figures and 6 isgenerally like that of Figure 1,

except that the metallic tubular portion 30 merges into or is attachedto a plate 3|, and this plate is provided with an upright U-shapedportion 32 (see Figure 5) shaped to conform to the lingual surface ofthe teeth and gums. The pledget-receiving means or pocket is here facedoutwardly instead of inwardly, as in Figure l. The means includes theupright portion 32 and the flange 33, which of course is also U-shapedas shown in Figure 5. The pledget is shown at 34 and it is noted thatthe inside angle A between the plate 3| and the part 32 is slightly lessthan a rightangle. The parts 30, 3|, 32 and33 are covered with suitableinsulating material 35. A recess 39 is provided, by the U-shapedcontour, into which the tongue may extend, as shown in Figure 6. It willbe understood that the device of Figure 6 is reversible, that is, it canbe placed either in the 1 position shown in Figure 6 to treat thelingual gum portions of the mandible or it may be reversed to treatlingual gum portions of the maxillary. The tube 30 is provided withthreads, not shown, which are similar to the threads l6 of the tube I6of Figure 2 and a device H3 is used for the conducting connection I9 asin the first case.

The reversible devices of Figures '7 to 12, inclusive, are adaptedparticularly for treating labial and buccal tooth or gum surfaces ofrelatively small area. Referring first to Figures 7 and 10, it will benoted that these devices are made in rights and lefts. The device ofFigure "I is adapted for treatment of relatively small areas of the leftbuccal and labial gum portions of the mandible and for the right buccaland labial portions of the maxillary. The device of Figure is adaptedfor treating relatively small areas of the right labial and buccalportions of the mandible, and the left labial and buccal portions of themaxillary.

Referring first to Figure 9, it will be seen that the device is providedwith a plate portion 40 adapted to be gripped by the teeth, and. with anangularly related portion 4| having a terminal flange 42, the generalcross-sectional shape corresponding to that of the devices of Figures 2and 6. The plate 40 has a teeth-receiving depression curved on a linesubstantially corresponding to the occlusal line of the teeth. and as inthe other instances, the pledget-receiving means or pocket is providedby the relation of the elements 4|], 4| and 42. The metal parts are allinsulated as at 44, including the tubular handle portion 45, as in theother forms of the invention. In this case, when the device is placed,as shown in Figure 10, biting results in causing the pocket and thepledget therein to be moved toward the gum in the direction of the arrowC. This is a valuable feature for all forms of the invention. It is alsonoted that the inner angle A between the elements 40 and 4| is slightlyless than a right angle.

In Figures 11 and 12 is shown another form of the invention adapted fortreating relatively small areas of teeth and/ or gums, in which thepledgetreceiving means, generally indicated at 50, comprises a copperplate 5| having an angularly related horizontal extension 52 which hasconnected therewith an elongated rather narrow portion 53, see Figure11, which terminates in a tubular portion 54, both portions 53 and 54being shown in dotted lines in the figure. The electrode 5| is coveredon all but one side with an insulating material indicated at 56 and theelements 53 and 54 are covered with insulating material such as Bakeliteindicated at 51.

The opposite surfaces 58-59 of the element 51 are in this case shownparallel, and lines S which are extensions of those surfaces form anangle A of less than 90 with line T, which is an extension of theworking surface 60 of element 5|. The element 51 is adapted to begripped by the teeth, and because of the relation of the surfacesrepresented by the lines S and T to one another, gripping tends to movethe pledget-receiving means and its pledget forcibly into treatingrelation with the gum as shown. This is a feature which is common topractically all forms of the invention thus far illustrated and is avaluable feature of the invention. Another valuable feature which isclaimed is the provision of curved means like those shown at 3| inFigures 5 and 8, which means is gripped by the teeth. In fact, I claimbroadly any means having a portion which is adapted to be gripped by theteeth, and to which is attached pledget-receiving means which can beheld in operative position by biting on the first mentioned means.

The form of the invention shown in Figure 13 comprises an elongatednarrow plate 64 having connected thereto at one end the tubular portion6|. At the opposite end the plate has a pin 62 adapted to receivepledget 63, and to be introduced into a tooth socket in the mannershown. The entire device with the exception of the pin 63 is suitablyelectrically insulated as at 65. In this instance, also, the element 64constitutes means adapted to be gripped by the teeth.

I claim as my invention:

1. An oral treatment device including, means having a portion adapted tobe gripped by the teeth andpledget-receiving means mounted on the firstmeans and having an electrode which the pledget contacts, theteeth-gripping portion of the first mentioned means being arrangedsubstantially transversely of the pledget-receiving means, so that afterproper placement of the device within the mouth, the teeth-grippingaction on said portion moves said receiving means and pledget carriedthereby toward and holds them in treating relation with the gum.

2. An oral treatment device including, means having a portion shaped toreceive and be gripped by the teeth and pledget-receiving means mountedon the first means and having an electrode which the pledget contacts,the shaped portion of the first mentioned means being mounted at oneedge of the pledget receiving means and at an angle thereto, so thatafter proper placement of the device within the mouth, teeth-grippingaction moves said receiving means toward the gum and holds the pledgetin treating relation thereto.

3. An oral treatment device comprising, a preformed plate of insulatingmaterial having a teeth-receiving depression curved on a linesubstantially corresponding to the occlusal line of the teeth,pledget-receiving means arranged along one edge of said plate comprisingan electrode in part enclosed by insulating material and arranged so asto be in treating relation with the gum when the plate is gripped byteeth engaged in said depression.

4. An oral treatment device including, a preformed base element havingthereon a pledgetreceiving element, said elements being so formed andrelated that when the pledget-receiving element is placed injuxtaposition to the gum, biting action upon the base elementaccompanied by a transverse movement of the teeth moves saidpledget-receiving element toward and holds its pledget under pressure intreating position against the gum,

5. An electrode construction for use in the electro-therapeutictreatment of a cavity such as a tooth socket, comprising a strip ofelectrically insulated material of length sufficient to protrude fromthe mouth when gripped between the teeth, an electrical conductorcompletely embedded in the strip, and a bare electricalpledget-receiving terminal arranged adjacent one end of the strip,transversely thereof, and electrically connected with the conductorembedded in the strip.

WALTER W. BUHSE.

